Spinach Facts: The Myth that Spinach
is Especially Rich in Iron

Spinach contains no more iron than many other leafy green vegetables. The myth arose because in 1870 a German scientist analyzing the iron contents of food misplaced a decimal point and showed spinach having ten times as much iron as cabbage. On this simple mistake the whole Popeye legend was built up. The result of this was that countless children were forced to eat spinach because it was ‘good for them’.